Inflatable ball



Sept. 11, 1934. A. J. TURNER 1,972,909

INFLATABLE BALL Filed Jan. 4. 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 A. J. TURNER I NFLATABLE BALL Sept. l1, 1934.

Filed Jan. 4. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L:0 bodiment thereof, as illustrated Patented Sept. 1,1,

iNrLATABLE BALL Archibald J. Turner, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Wilson-Western Sporting Goods Co., Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application January 4, 1930, Serial No. 418,464

17 Claims.

My 'invention relates to inflatable balls such as basket balls, foot balls, andthe like, comprising an outer casing, usually of leather, and

an inner bladder, usually of rubber. My present 5 invention is preferably embodied in casing constructions having a bladder `inflation aperture spaced away from the customary laced bladder insertion slit or opening. l

The object of my present invention is to improve the anchorage whereby the bladder with its inflation valve is held against the inside of the cover in association with the inflation aperture. Among the outstanding advantages of my invention are the provision of: a quick detachable anchorage `tor the purpose described; an anchorage'which does not require the time nor the awkwardness of turning the bladder within the cover as in the usual screw type anchorage; a quick detachable anchorage which will still permit of relative rotation of the bladder and cover prior to complete inflation so that the bladder may adjust itself without straining the bladder at the region of the valve; an anchorage requiring a minimum dimension in a direction radially of the ball so that the bladder, even at the Vregion of the valve stem may lie close to the cover; and an anchorage which, while being quickly detachable, will hold the valve of the bladder in position relative to the casing and lagainst any ordinary lateralfor inward movement occasioned by the attachment or detachment of the usual air pump. Another feature of my invention is the simplification of the stitching necessary to the assembly of the anchorage members.

These together with other objects, features and advantages of my 'invention are set forth in the following description of a specific emin the attached drawings, wherein v Fig. vl is a perspective View o f `a basket ball embodying my invention, a portion of the cover being broken away to reveal the anchorage;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the inside of the ball showing the cover-carried anchorage member;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the covercarried anchorage member illustrating how the bladder-carried button member is inserted therein;

Fig. e is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 but showing the bladder-carried anchorage member positioned 'in the cover-carried anchorage member;

Fig. 5 is an exploded'perspective of the several pieces of the cover-carried anchorage member of Figs. 2 and 3; and 1 Fig. 6 is a section somewhat similar to Fig.

4, but showing only the bladder-carried members, and illustrating a modication wherein the head of the stem is Vformed by ajnut'threaded on to the end of the stem. j

vThe basket ball shown in Fig. 1 has a leather cover 10 with the usual laced opening or slit 11 through whichv the rubber bladder 12 is inserted. Y

The bladder 12 carries an innation, check valve 13, preferably of the Schrader type, yhoused in avalve sternV 14, the major portion ofV which extends inwardly through the Wall of the bladder. A-minor length of the valve 'stem extends outwardly beyond the wall of the bladder and carries an enlarged disc-shaped button 15. The button is spaced outwardly a short distance from the wall of the bladder. The bore of the 7.5' Valvestem, which also passes through the button vportion '15, is preferably internally threaded to receive the coupling of an air pump, and the bore of the stem constitutes the air passage for the ination of the bladder. 1

Access to the valveY stem from the exterior of the cover is had through a small linflation aperture 16 through the casing, the aperture being preferably about the same diameter as the valve stem so as to accommodate the coupling member of the usual air pump. This inflation aperture is preferably spaced from thellaced bladder insertion opening 11 and, for the purpose of balance, is preferably spaced about' 180 degrees away from the opening 11.A

The cover-carried anchorage member which cooperates with the kvalve stem button l5 to hold the valve stem in proper relation to the inflation aperture 16 comprises a set of three superposed disc-like layers: 95'

The first of theseyll, is a cushioning or buffery layer laid directly against the inside of the cover (or, if the cover has a'lining 10', then directly against the inside of the lining). yThe, cushioning member has a central aperture 17 registering with the aperture 16 of the cover, and preierably of substantially the same diameter. "A

The second disc, 18, is substantially the same thickness as the button 15 of the valve stem and has av central aperture but slightly larger than 105 the diameter of the button.

The third disc, 19, is of a thickness but slightly less than the distance by which the button 15 isspaced fromv the'wall of the bladder," and it 1 Ahas a central aperture but slightly larger than bladder is ofcourse wholly or at leastpartially When this is done the flaps of the disc 19 form the neck of the valve stem adjacent the button 'Ihis third disc 19 has a radial slot 20 extending from the central aperture 19 to the periphery, the width of the slot being substantially the same as the diameter of the neck of the stem, and preferably being outwardly iiared near the periphery of the disc to facilitate the entry of the Ynecktof the valvestem there-along. The side of the periphery of the innermost disc 19 adjacent the mouth of the slot 20 ispreferably truncated or cut away at 21. The three superposed discs 17, 18 and 19 are secured tov` gether and to the inner side of the wallvlO'by a circular stitching 22 passing through the cover and the three discs adjacent the periphery of the latter. Becausel of the cutting away 'at 21 of the periphery of the third disc 19, the edge of the disc adjacent the mouth'of the slot 20 falls radially Within the line of stitching and forms a pair of opposed naps which can be raised to` a" limited extent to permit the passage ofthe button' 15Y between' theN iiapsY and' the 'face' 'of the second disc 18. To preventy undue strain on the 'bladder wall by an abrupt step-down, the discs are preferably of progressively Vincreasing diameter'arid their edges 'are preferablyrtapered off a'sindicated at 23.

However, the periphery of the third disc 19, Whereit'istr'uncate'd at'21, is preferably trimmed so' that its edge tapers in opposite direction as indicated at 21 to facilitate the insertion of the button 15 -beloW the opposed flapsforming the's'lot'ZO. 'f 4 To anchor the bladderrto the inside of the cover with my improvedanchoragemeans, the

deflatedandinserted int the cover through the unlaced opening 11. The bladder is held in the handwith lthe fingers grasping'it at the region of the valve stem 14, and the button 15 iS brought into position, as shown in Fig. 3, in alignment with the slot 20 and with the rounded periphery o`f the button engaging the reversed tapered edge 21' of theA third disc 19. The lbutton is moved laterally toward the central Vaperture 19 with i the button itself moving'between the layer 19 and the layer 18 and the neck of the valve stem passing along the slot 20V V'until it reaches the aperture 19, when the button drops down into the 'central aperture 18 of the second disc 18.

ing the margin of the slot 20 again resume their normal position A'in Contact with the face of the second disc 18, and the button is snugly locked in the cavity formed bythe aperture 18.

This attachment is lvery quickly effected, it not being necessary to turn the bladder. Should the bladder-especially inthe instance of a footballnot be axially aligned with the cover, my anchorage permits of the bladder and the bladder stem turning in the cover-carried anchorage member properly to align the bladder. After the bladder insertion opening 11 in the cover is laced up', thecoupling of any air pump may be inserted from the exterior of the cover through 7 the'inflation aperture 16 and threaded into the bore of the 'valve-stem 14, and the bladder inl flated. The disc 19, during such attachment of the pump,'prevents the valve stem being pushed inwardly out of reach of the pump coupling or l out of registry with the opening 16 in the cover;

The discs 18 and 19 together prevent lateral movement of the valve stem out of registry with the opening 16 in the cover. After the bladder has been Vrfully iniiatedyitsinternal pressure Vmetal button 15 and also to provide additional resilience between the exterior of the cover and the metal valve to protect the valve and to provide s ucient resilience so as not to give any eccentricity to the rebound in the event of impact in thevicinity of the ination aperture 16.V

vIt will be noted that in addition to simplifying thevv operation of attachment and detachment with my improved anchorage means, and the elimination of the necessity for turning the bladder within the cover to effect the attachment, I have provided an anchorage means which is very simple and which includes no vinterengaging parts Which'are subject to wear 'or breakage as in the instance ofthreadedcouplings'or Vsnap type'couplings;v

If desired, my invention may be adapted to utilize' the presentv commercial design of 'bladders made for use With the'screw' type anchor-'- age, by more or less permanently threading upon the protruding externallyv threaded'valve stem lalsee Fig. 6) an internally threaded bushing 425 .comprising a neck portion 26 vand "a but# ton portion 27 corresponding tothe button 15 v01" Fig. 4.

Amaybe carriedv by 'the bladder andV that the metal`next to Vthe cover is minimized, as comi pared to 'a construction where the arrangement would be'reversed, that 'is,'where""th'e button member would becarri'ed by the cover and' the slot member. by the bladder.

I contemplate that other changes also may be made over the specific embodiments herein dis# closed without departing frorn' the spirit or scopeof my'invention.

Iclaim: x s Y Y 1. An inflatable ball comprising a cover having a closable bladder insertion opening and an inflation aperture through the cover,v a set of three superimposed discs secured to the inside of the cover by annular stitching through the cover and the superimposed discs, the discs having central openings in 'substantial registry with the bladder insertion opening through the cover, the central opening of the intermediate. disc being of greater diameter than those of the first and third discs, wherebyk asock'et formed, al

end of the stem protruding beyond the wallof the bladder and having an enlarged button-like head spaced away from the wall of the bladder, the neck formed by the protruding stem being adapted to pass through the slot inthe third disc for lateral insertion of the head into the socket.

2. In combination with the cover of an inflatable ball having an inflation aperture therethrough, of a bladder anchorage member comprising a pair of superposed disc members secured to the inside of the cover, a far disc member having a key-hole shaped opening extending outwardly to its periphery, and a near disc member having a central opening of greater diameter than the head of the key-hole slot, and

a button-like member carried by the bladder ata spaced distance outwardly from the wall thereof, for quick detachable reception by said anchorage member.

3. An iniiatable ball comprising a cover, a separate removable bladder therefor, an inflation aperture through the cover, an inflation valve carried by the bladder, and a pair of co-operating anchorage members, one carried by the bladder and the other by the cover, the bladdercarried anchoring member comprising a hollow stem communicating with the valve and extending outwardly beyond the wall of the bladder and carrying a button-like head, and a covercarried anchorage member comprising a near disc secured to the cover and having a central aperture in registry with the inflation aperture of the cover but of greater diameter than the ination aperture, which central aperture forms a socket adapted to receive said head, and a far disc overlying the near disc and having a central aperture smaller than that of the near disc for confining the head therein against movement away from the cover, said far disc having an entrance slot whereby the headmay be moved laterally into said socket.

4. An inflatable ball comprising a cover having an inflation aperture there-through and al separate removable bladder having an inflation valve and quick-detachable means for anchoring the bladder on the inside of the cover with the ination valve in association with the inflation aperture, said means comprising members carried on the inside of the cover and on the bladder respectively, one of said members comprising a head or button portion, and the other an open, unobstructed slot for laterally receiving and positioning the head, said Second member being attached to the cover by fastening means which terminates short of the slot to permit reception of said head or button.

5. An inflatable ball comprising a cover having an iniiation aperture there-through and a separate removable bladder having an ination valve and quick-detachable means for anchoring the bladder on the inside of the cover with the iniiation valve in association with the inflation aperture, said means comprising members carried on the inside of the cover and on the bladder respectively, the bladder-carried member comprising a head or button portion, and the cover-carried member comprising an open, unobstructed slot portion for laterally receiving and positioning the head, said second member being attached to the cover by fastening means which terminates' short of the 'slot to permit reception of said head or button.

6. An inflation ball comprising a cover having an inflation aperture there-through, a separate tion conduit, a circular anchoring socket member stitched to the inside of the cover in registry with the inflation aperture ,andy comprising a near disc having a central aperture and a far disc superimposed thereon, the discs being secured together and to the cover by a circular stitching, the far disc being out away adjacent its periphery at one side within the circular line of stitching and having a slot extending inwardly therefrom to the center, and a head or button member carried by the ination conduit of the bladder for cooperation with the anchoring member by lateral insertion along said slot and securement in the socket formed by the central opening of the near disc. l

7. An inflatable ball comprisinga cover having an inflation aperture therefor, a separate removable bladder having a protruding inatio-n valve stem with an annular flange spaced away from the wall of the bladder forming a head, and an anchoring member secured on the inside of the cover for holding the bladder stem in association with the inflation aperture, said anchoring member comprising a patch member having a central aperture larger than, and in registry with, the iniiation aperture, and a retaining patch member secured to the cover and over-lying the first patch member, the retaining patch member having a key hole shaped slot extending to its periphery, the retaining patch at the margins of the slot being outwardly yieldable to permit the insertion of the head thereunder for lateral movement of the head along said slotand into the socket formed by the central opening of the first patch. v

8. An inflatable ball comprising a cover having an inflation aperture there-through, a separate removable bladder having an inflation stem carrying a protruding head, means for detachably anchoring the bladder on the insideA of the cover and with the inflation stem in association with the inflation aperture, comprising a socket carried on the inside of the cover for the reception of the head, a retaining member for holding the head in the socket against inward displacement, said means being yieldable to permit the removal of the head from the socket by inward and then lateral movement, said yielding retaining member, when the bladder is in place and inflated, being yieldable only againstv spaced therefrom, a separate removable bladder having an inflation stern, and means for detachably anchoring the bladder to the inside of the cover with the inflation stem in association with the inflation aperture, comprising a patch mem.- ber sewnv to the inside of the cover on a plurality of sides of the aperture, annular lfiller means spacing the patch member from the' cover at the region of the aperture and together with the inside-of the cover and the patch member forming a socket in association with the inflation aperture, the inflation stem of the bladder protruding outwardly 4as a neck from the wall of the bladder and having an enlarged buttonlike head at a spaced distance from the wall, a

hole in the patch member for receiving the neck` of the stem when its head is received in the socket, and slit means'leading outwardly from the hole to permit the removal of the head to detach the bladder from its anchorage, without removable inflatable bladder carrying an innawhich slit means thehead normally would notv be removable from the socket. 10. YAninilatable ball comprising a cover having, afbladder` insertion opening and an ini'iation aperture spacedl there-from, a separate removable bladderk having `an iniationA stem, and meansior detachably anchoring the bladder on the inside of the cover with its ,inflation stem in association with the inflation aperture, comprising ahead on an outwardly protruding end of the iniiation stem forming a reduced neck between it and the wall of the bladder, a patch member fixed on theA inside of the cover at the region of the inflation aperture and defining a pre-formed socket between it and the cover for the reception of the head of the protruding stem, a hole in the patch member for the reception ofthe neck, and slit means in the patch member leading from the hole to the edge thereoffand means for fastening said patch member adjacent its edge to said cover, saidA fastening means terminatingshort of` said'slit means thereby to permit lateral insertion and withdrawal of the head from the socket.

11. An innatable ball comprising a cover having a bladder insertion opening and an ination aperture spaced therefrom, a separate removable bladder having an inflation stem, and means for detachably anchoring the bladder on the inside of the cover with its inflation stem in association with the inflation aperature, comprising anoutward neck protrusion of the iniiation stem having a head a spaced distance from the wall of the bladder,.a patch member secured to the inside of the'cover at the region of the inflation aperture and forming a socket between the patch member and the cover for theV reception of the head of the ini-lation stem, a Vhole in the patch member for the reception of the neck when the head is in the socket, and open, unobstructed slit in the patch member extending outward fromY the hole and terminating in a mouth for facilitating the removal of the, head, the means for fastening said patchA region of the inflation stem,l means for detachably securing the nut on the inside of the cover in irnation association with the inflation aperture, the bladder being attachable to the nut-like member while the bladder is held in its position at the inside of the cover.

13. An inflatable ball comprising a cover havingl an ination aperture, aseparate removable inflatable bladder having an infiation stem, and means for detachably anchoring the bladder on the inside of the cover with the inflation stem in inflation association with the inflation aperture, comprising a nut member for detachablel inter-engagement with the bladder at the regionv of vthe inflation stem, means fordetachably securing the nut on the inside Yof the *cover` in inflation association with the inflation aperture, the bladderbeing detachable from the nutlike member while the bladder is held in Vits position atthe inside of the cover.

14. An inflatable, ball comprising a cover having an inflation aperture, a separate removable inflatable bladder having an inflationstem, and means for detachably anchoring the bladder on the inside oi:v the cover with the inflation stem in inflation association with the inflation aperture, comprising a nut member for detachable inter-engagement with the bladder at the region of theV inflation stem, m'eansfor detachably' securing the nut on the inside of the: cover in inflatiorr association with the inflation aperture, the bladder beingattachable toA and detachable from the Ynut-like member while the bladder is held in its position` at the inside of the cover.

15. An inflatable ball comprising a cover having an inflation aperture, a separate removable inflatable kbladder havingan infiaticn stem and means for. detachablv'4 anchoring the bladder on theinside of the coverv with the iniiation stem in operative association with the inflation aperture, comprising a nut member for detachable inter-engagement with the bladder at the region of the inflation stem, means for detachably securing the nut on the inside of the cover in operative association with the inflation aperture, the bladder being removably attachable and detachable fromv the'anchorage as a unit with the nut. f'

16. An inilatable ball comprising a cover having an inflation aperture, a separate bladder having an inflation stem and means for detachably anchoring the bladder on the inside ci the cover with the iniiation stem in association inl the patch member for the reception lof theV neck of the bladder ination stem when its head isin said socket, land a slit in the patch member extending outwardly from the hole to permit theilexure of the lips of the patch member adjacent,v the slit for facilitating the removal of 'the head'oi the socket. i'

17. An inflatable ball comprising a cover having v an, iniation aperture, a separate bladder having an inflation stem and means for detachablyA anchoring the bladder on the inside of the cover with the inilationV stem in association with theiniiation aperture comprising a patch member secured to the inside of the cover, a socket between the patchv member and the cover, an outward neck forming a protrusion of the in'- rlation'stem and a head thereon spaced from' the wallfof thebladder, a hole in the patch member communicating withthe socket for the reception-of the neclrof vthebladder inflation stem when its head is fin saidrsocket, and a` slitY in theY patch member extending outwardly from the hole yto permit thev fiexure of the lips of the patch member adjacent the slit for facilitating the' removalofthe `head. of the socket. Y

ARCHIBALD J. TURNER.

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